The Zoo Keeper's Apprentice
by Pentakill Lux
Summary: AU. Castiel is the new zoo keeper and Dean is the handsome, hardworking Batman of the animal world. When they have to work closely together training the new tiger, Castiel have to accept that Dean is a great guy on top of everything else.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

All the characters are lent

And I do not own a single cent

So please don't sue,

I'm begging you.

Summary: AU, Castiel is the new zoo keeper and Dean is the handsome, hardworking Batman of the animal world, making Castiel feel a little bad about himself. But when Dean and Castiel suddenly have to work closely together training the new tiger, Castiel have to accept that Dean might be great guy on top of everything else.

A/N:Updated rewritten version. And yes I've taken a few liberties concerning Cameron Park Zoo, because I've never been there. So basicly i'm just copying the parks I do know how work.

Warning: First AU! Un-BETA'ed. And warning for later chapters that might make the rating go up.

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><p>For the life of him, Castiel still couldn't understand how he had managed to get this job. Sure he had met the qualifications, but he was sure more experienced and better suited people had applied for the job opening, but somehow Castiel had managed to get an interview and shortly after he got the call telling him he was the new zookeeper in Cameron Park Zoo.<p>

As salaries went it was a massive step down from his last job as a science researcher on a huge genetics program at the UTMB, but as for the rest of it, the scenery, the satisfaction, the pure feel-god experience of it all, this was really the biggest upgrade he could get. He went to work every day, his head spinning with all the _difference_ he was finally making in protection of endangered animals, and he would go home in the afternoon feeling satisfied at a job well done, a job that didn't just include sitting at a desk, looking at cells and DNA-strings.

And no one ever said anything about him not being as experienced as the rest of them, no one called him on his lack of practical experience or teased him when his researcher body couldn't keep up with all the physical aspects of the job. His new co-workers was quick to offer help and lend a hand, were happy to give him advise on how to best behave around which animals and instead he did what he was hired for, he researched the genetic pools of the animals in the park, categorized which breeding programs would be the healthiest to continue and which zoo had the best match when they needed an male specimen for procreation purposes.

All in all the first few months of his new job was the happiest Castiel he had been in years, actually categorizing most of his coworkers as his second family, not that he had much of a first family, but still, it was nice to find a job where he could just _fit in_. And then Dean _fucking_ Winchester returned from his prolonged vacation in Sumatra, where he had helped the locals securing the wild life sanctuary that held the Sumatran Tigers.

Dean was the first to raise an eyebrow at Castiel's appearance, taking in his slender body adapted to a lab and not for cleaning rhino stalls, his pale skin that would burn in the sun, and of cause his still baby soft hands, that were clearly well-accustomed to handling regent bottles and petri dishes, but would blister from hours of manual work.

At first Castiel convinced himself that he was making it up. After all, who wouldn't feel a little inferior next to someone like Dean Winchester, The Fucking Righteous Bastard? But as the days passed by Castiel became sure that Dean was smiling a smug god-damned smile every time Castiel turned his back to him, and where the others offered their help willingly with a helpful smile, Dean acted like he had to force himself to even go close to Castiel, but sometimes felt he had to, just to keep the bookworm safe from his own incompetence.

Castiel could clearly imagine what Dean would think of him, that he would look and see a scientist not fitted for zoo keeping, because Dean was a fucking do-gooder, a man who would travel around the world on his own time, to spend all night driving around, keeping guard, so the poachers didn't cross the borders to shoot the tigers and spend all day building new fences and setting up traps for said poachers.

Dean, with his clear, green eyes always assessing danger or new possibilities, Dean, with his strong, lithe body made for and perfected by years of hard work and rough living. Dean, who was fucking perfect and beautiful and so damn superior that Castiel just wanted to punch him in the face and tell him to get over himself.

But the most annoying thing about Dean Winchester was that Castiel couldn't help but like the bastard anyway. Despite all Dean's head-shaking, eye-rolling, smug-faced attitude towards him, Castiel just couldn't help but find Dean fascinating.

Castiel watched Dean one day jump into the crocodile pit to save a wayward housecat there, pick the little creature up gently and hand it to Castiel across the fence with the words, "Stupid little thing doesn't know when it's out of its depths." And then leave Castiel standing with a purring cat in his arms, wondering which of them Dean had been talking about. But even if Dean's words had been aimed at Castiel he couldn't really get mad about it, because Castiel might be able to fake the walk and do the talk, but Dean was the real thing, a god damn Batman, saving all the lost animals in danger.

There was no way Castiel could ever compare, so instead he did his best to excel where he had his strengths. Picking up on symptoms of illness before the other zookeepers had even noticed and predicting hierarchy placements for the new cubs, pups, hatchlings and monkey babies, so the keepers could plan the future structures in the packs.

Besides his work on the park's breeding programs Castiel would also rotate around the park, helping where help was needed. One day he could be feeding mice and baby chickens to storks, the next he could be helping the veterinarian anaesthetize an angry Sand Cat for blood samples. It was only on a rare occasion that Castiel would even work alongside Dean, because Dean was in charge of the big carnivores, like the tigers and the wolves, and even the omnivores, like the bears and raccoons. It was limited what Castiel could help with around those animals, being as inexperienced as he was, but he would sometimes be assigned to clean up their stalls.

On those occasions Castiel would sometimes feel Dean's eyes fall on him, while the other man was in the back of the room, either training a lioness to enter one of the crates used for transport or working on some activation toy for the bears. Castiel  
>would always work a little harder when in Dean's department, would ignore the ache in his back and opt out of using gloves, because he didn't want Dean to think he was afraid to get his hands dirty. But for the most parts Castiel didn't even have to concern himself with Dean's aura of superiority, because it was a huge park and there were a lot of things that needed doing, which had nothing to do with carnivores or omnivores or fucking green-eyed, model-material animal rescue experts.<p>

That was, at least, until Cameron Park Zoo received its newest addition.

It is a known fact in the Park that Castiel never reacts the first time someone calls his name on the walkie-talkie that hangs at every zookeeper's belt. Castiel isn't used to hearing his name called and will usually only react at the second or even third call. But when Dean calls his name one burning hot Tuesday right before the 12 o'clock break, Castiel respond at once. It isn't exactly because he has been expecting the call. Dean, Rachel and a veterinarian has been busy in the quarantine camp all day, getting a 130 kilo male tiger off a truck and out of its transport crate.

The Sumatran Tiger, Samir, was what Dean had originally gone to secure for the park, before he had gotten caught up in the whole project of saving all the tigers. Samir had once been a wild tiger, unlike most of the animals in the park that were bred in captivity. Poachers had shot his mother and sold Samir to a local rich man, who had kept the tiger as a show piece and a pet. As a result Samir, or Sammy, as Dean affectionately began to call him, would sometimes behave like a trained house cat just to lash out in a deadly and aggravated attack the next moment. In the end, as Dean would later explain to Castiel, it wasn't too hard to convince the rich man to give up his pet. It was a simple matter of keeping all his extremities.

Castiel runs into Rachel and the vet as soon as he inters the quarantine camp. He greets them and Rachel points him towards the house furthest away, with a warm smile. Castiel isn't exactly scared to be alone with Dean, but he had hoped that Rachel and the vet, an old man who at several occasions has given Castiel the impression that he thinks Castiel's brain is something to celebrate, would be around.

"Isn't he a beauty?" Dean asks in a soft voice as Castiel appears at the door to the huge stall, and it is clear that "no" isn't even an option, not that Castiel would dream of such lies, because Sammy might be the smallest species of tiger, but he is still huge and to be honest, "_beautiful_" seems a terrible understatement, even for one like Dean, who rarely hands out praise at all. Sammy's fur is shiny, glistening in the sunlight streaming through the over light windows and the black and orange colors are so clear that they seem synthetic. Sammy is pacing his quarantine stall lazily; rubbing against the bars in front of Dean whenever he passes, with a loud purr, so deep that Castiel can feel it vibrate through his blood, even at this distance.

"He's amazing." Castiel finally say, hoping his voice isn't as thick as it sounds inside his head. One glance at Dean's knowing face tells Castiel that his hopes are wasted. Dean comes over to stand right next to him, and Castiel notice for the first time that Dean isn't that much taller than him.

"Your quarantine gear is in the closet next to the alarm pad." Dean point and Castiel let his eyes follow. "You don't usually come close to any felines in the park, so you don't have to shower when you leave here, but make sure to change all your gear, shoes too." He returns all the confusion Castiel feels, every bit of it painted clearly across Castiel's face, with an amused smile. "You two might as well make friends, Cas. You and Sammy will be spending most days together until he's ready to be moved to the park."

Castiel would lie if he said he wasn't freaked out just now, and a petty little voice inside him swear that Dean has been aiming for that exact reaction. "What exactly am I supposed to help with around here?" He manages to say with an acceptable steady voice.

"Sammy here will need food and clean stalls and entertainment, and I'll be busy at the Park most of the day." Dean's eyes bore into Castiel's, and as always they are assessing the situation. "If you don't think you're up for it, it's okay. I just thought you'd enjoy it." Dean's voice is earnest and worried, and Castiel realizes that Dean is worried that Castiel doesn't want this new job. Which is weird.

"I guess everyone else is busy with their own things, hu?" Castiel comments and eyes the yellow line around the barred cage, the safety line. Do not cross here if you like your fingers/toes/clothes/life. "How long are we staying?" He asks, but with a motion of his hand towards the closet he's really asking if he should change to the quarantine gear.

"If we push lunch we can stay for about thirty minutes. Go ahead; he should get familiar with your sent." Dean finishes and turns his back to walk back to the tiger that is tracking their every move from across the room.

Castiel changes out of his work clothes and into the quarantine clothes that are a little too big and he briefly wonders if they are Dean's size.

It isn't like Castiel is scared of the tiger in the next room. Dean has already assured him that Sammy isn't dangerous, not much at least. Humans aren't food to him, but they can be the enemy. That's why it's so important that Castiel manages to win the big cat's friendship. But somehow Castiel feels like it's more than that. That perhaps even his strained relationship to Dean Winchester is on the line here, like Dean is handing him a chance to prove himself. So Castiel moves slowly when he step into the room and closer to the man and the prowling tiger.

Dean signal for Castiel to come and stand next to him and Castiel obey, understanding that he is now entirely on Dean's turf, and way out of his own comfort zone. But when Sammy doesn't growl at him when he moves closer, Castiel ventures another step. On the other side of the bars Sammy copies him, with fluid motions. "I don't know much about tigers, you know."

Dean, who is looking at the interaction between Sammy and Castiel with great interest, smile at this. "I know. Neither does Sammy, so don't worry." Dean pads his shoulder and Castiel watch in amazement as Dean reach out a hand, stick it through the bars and let his fingers run through Sammy's fur.

"Usually we don't want our animals too tame," Dean explains and Castiel nods, he has been told this part many times before. "But Sammy is a special case, because he's too damaged and used to human contact and might be a serious risk to himself, if we don't train with him intensely and get him fully tamed." Dean looks back over his shoulder at Castiel. "And I don't have the time."

"What kind of risk?"

"Well, mental mainly. He's used to being a pet and be stimulated almost to a fault. We're gonna have to stimulate the hell out of him to keep him from going stir crazy and it's just safer for us if we can control him. With the life he's had so far, as a show piece and a cuddle pet, he'll be happier being used as such, as sad as that might sound, since that's what we saved him from in the first place, but at least here he has the space and facilities to be a tiger too."

"So we'll keep him as a show dog?" Castiel thinks he does a passable job of keeping the disbelief out of his voice, a mental picture in his head of a tamed Disney version of Sammy, walking along in a leash.

But Dean hears the tone. "Well it's not the finest moment of my career, but if it'll keep him happy and sane I'll go with it." Dean shrugs and pads Castiel's shoulder. "I have to take a quick shower before we go back to the park. Don't stick your hands in his mouth while I'm away, okay?"

Castiel just nod and keep his eyes fixed on Sammy's pattern of camouflage, as Dean leaves his side, pulling his t-shirt off as he goes. Castiel wait until he is sure Dean is gone before he turns his head to look where Dean had walked out of sight.

Dean pokes in his head a short twelve minutes later, dressed in his normal work clothes. "Time to change." He says and wait for Castiel to get up off the floor where he has been sitting and starring at Sammy, who had again returned the gesture by posing like a sphinx on the other side of the bars.

"Seems like the two of you are making friends already." Dean say when Castiel has changed clothes and Dean turns the alarm back on five minutes later and locks the gates. Sammy's eyes follows them as they leave.

"I guess." Castiel realizes that he's still waiting for Dean to say something mean or insinuate that Castiel will somehow be a burden on this project. But Dean doesn't. Instead he smiles again. Castiel is pretty sure he hasn't seen Dean smile so many genuine smiles in the few months he's known him as he has this one day. The fact that most of these smiles have been directed at him makes Castiel confused for some reason.

Dean seemed to be studying Castiel's face, trying to guess at what the confused look is about, but when Castiel snaps out of it and lets his eyes refocus, Dean appears to give up on trying to understand Castiel, for now anyway.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

A/N1: I've rewritten most of chapter 1, so if you skipped right to here, you might want to re-read that first.

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><p>Castiel's eyes don't leave the golden pair in front of him for a single second as he moves closer. It isn't that he is scared of Sammy, per se. It is more the fact that there are, at this moment, no bars separating Castiel from 130 kilo of pure muscle, complete with teeth and claws. Castiel keeps moving, slowly, closer to the tiger, his hands holding the lump of meat in a firm grip.<p>

"That's a good boy. Time for lunch now Sammy." Castiel continues the familiar string of words in the voice Dean calls Castiel's _tiger voice_. It's lower than his usual voice, deep and full of rumble, to match Sammy's low frequency purrs. From his place in the patch of sun, streaming down through the over light window above the stall, Sammy gets up with lazy grace and makes his way across the distance still separating the two.

Castiel has been feeding Sammy for weeks now, and for just as long the two have had these meetings without bars separating them, but this is the first time Castiel walks all the way into Sammy's domain to hand him his food. It doesn't scare Castiel even if it should. He has seen Dean hand feeding the cheetahs in the Park and shooing a wolf pack away from a piece of meat, telling them to wait. But then, Dean knows what he's doing. He knows his animals, know their limits. Castiel has only known Sammy for little over a month now.

The fact that Dean has given up on Sammy doesn't scare Castiel either. It didn't even take Dean two weeks. Two weeks of Castiel going into Sammy's stall and petting him, scratching his fingers through Sammy's scruffy tiger-mane, playing catch and kicking around a big orange plastic ball. Two weeks of Dean coming to the tiger house around lunch time to bring Sammy's food and pick Castiel up for lunch break. Two weeks before Sammy started lashing out at Dean. It wasn't even psych 101. Castiel was Sammy's playmate (though he felt mostly like a toy at times) and Dean was the one who always took his playmate away.

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><p>"It's a god-damn menace." Dean had declared as he withdrew from the stall pushing Castiel out in front of him, even though Sammy had made no attempts to hurt Castiel.<p>

"The fearless Dean Winchester, scared of a kitten?" Castiel teased while he pushed Dean's sleeve up to examine the damage. "I've seen you jump into the lion den to collect cubs from their own mother."

"Yeah well." Dean made a face when Castiel's gentle fingers found the scratches on his forearm. "I don't know what's wrong with that tiger; it doesn't have a single natural tiger response in its body. It's like it's a frigging…" Dean stopped, unable to find the right word.

"Lab rat?" Castiel offered innocently, getting an annoyed smirk for his efforts.

"I guess." Dean said, looking with concern at the wounds. They weren't deep, just barely drawing blood. With practiced hands Castiel cleaned the claw marks and patched them together with butterfly tape. "I think the ones on my shoulder are worse."

Castiel abandoned the scratches on Dean's arm to help the other man pull his long-sleeved t-shirt over his head. Castiel had to admit that these wounds were a lot worse; they were deeper and would need stitches. "You'll need to go to the hospital and get these cleaned, Dean. They'll need suture."

"And? Didn't you study medicine?"

Castiel snorted, amused. "Yeah, Dean. For animals."

Dean tried to force a smile. "Same basics, am I right?"

"I'm not stitching you up, Dean. I don't have the nerve, okay?" Castiel admitted easily. Admitting he was weak to Dean was already easier now than it had been, and easier at any rate, than having to grid his teeth and push a needle through the skin of another human to sew up a wound.

"Come on, Cas, be a good little soldier. I'm bleeding out here." Dean teased. Behind them Sammy growled, confused about why his toy-human hadn't returned to play.

"Hardly." Castiel's eyes drifted to Sammy and back to Dean's shoulder. His eyes rested on the wounds for a few seconds while his fingertips rested against the open flesh of Dean's shoulder. "I haven't stitched anything for years. And even then, it was an unconscious Germen Shepherd."

"Did it survive?"

"I guess."

"God that's vague. Can you stop the bleeding or not, Cas?"

Castiel smiled at Dean's impatience. "I guess." He repeated, earning another annoyed glance. "Fine, sit down and hold still. I need to clean it better before I do anything." Castiel pushed clothes and shoes off the low bench next to the closets and gestured for Dean to take a seat while he went to get the first aid kit. When he returned Dean had pulled the bench out from the wall so that he could straddle it and were trying to twist his head to look at the wounds.

"You can't lick them clean." Castiel teased, taking a clean towel from his closet.

"Funny." Dean mumbled, instead following Castiel's path around the room as he collected more things like hand sanitizer gel and cotton balls. In the end Castiel settled behind Dean, straddling the bench and arranging his bundle of treasures between them.

To his praise Dean didn't complain once, but low whines and whimpers would sometimes inform Castiel that Dean "Batman" Winchester did in fact feel pain. When Castiel at last felt he was done he padded Dean's wounds with more hand sanitizer and then wiped his back clean with a damp towel. "Go look at the grim masterpiece." Castiel said and got up from the bench, stretching his stiff arms and shoulders.

Dean went to the full body mirror in the bathroom and turned his back to it, peaking over his shoulder. "I've had much worse from a real human doctor." He admitted in the end.

"I should start up practice then." Castiel deadpanned as he stepped in front of Dean looking at his own work in the mirror. He reached behind Dean's back and gently let his fingers slide across the wound that had been deepest. "They will scar though. And you have to be really careful not to break them. It's an awkward place." Castiel looked up at Dean's face and realized just then how close he had gotten in his examination. Dean didn't seem to notice either, not until Castiel stepped back and cold air hit Dean's chest where Castiel had leaned against him.

Castiel walked over to wash his hands, effectively turning his back on Dean. "I wondered about your tattoo." Castiel said, trying to force his own mind to focus on other things than the heat of Dean's body.

Behind him Dean let his fingers run across the words scribbled across his collar bone, examining them as if he had been unaware that they were even there. "It's Latin." He said in the end. "Means "I will fear no evil.""

"It suits you, at least." Castiel said, forcing down an inappropriate giggle. "Mostly."

"Yeah well, laugh it up, Cas. You'll be back in the park tomorrow."

Castiel fumbled with the first aid box and dropped the scissors on the floor without noticing. "Why?" he demanded and turned to stare at Dean with confusion and anger in his eyes.

"Come on, Cas. I can't let you back in there."

"Why?" Castiel just repeated, since Dean's first answer made no sense to him.

"Because that tiger is dangerous. It was stupid to let you in there to begin with." Dean's voice was low, gentle. He wanted to make Castiel understand, not argue.

"_Sammy_ isn't dangerous. Not to me, and you know it." Castiel bit his lip, gathering the nerve to continue. "Is this a matter of you damn pride?"

"Excuse me?" Dean's voice swung from gentle through disbelieving to angry at those few syllables.

"Is it because Sammy likes me and not you? Is it because I can handle him and you can't?" Castiel pressed, not caring if he sounded smug.

"You're not in control in there, Castiel, not for a god damn second. That cat controls you and it's so obvious. Everyone controls you, Castiel, because you're so damn easy to manipulate that even a tiger can do it!" Dean's words were harsh, but his voice wasn't cold or angry. It took Dean's entire ramble for Castiel to realize that Dean's voice was full of pity. That Dean pitied him.

Castiel knew in that second that Dean was right, that Castiel was a pushover. He couldn't even begin to think about how many people were actually using him, and manipulating him on a daily basis, because all his focus was used on recalling every single time Dean had manipulated him in the few weeks they had worked together. And suddenly his cheeks burned hot and angry.

"Well how about this. I come back here tomorrow morning to work with Sammy, and you leave me the fuck alone, or I tell the director that you managed to get _badly_ injured and will need to spend at least three weeks at home getting better. I think he will believe my assessments." Castiel grabbed his clothes from his closet, cringing the quarantine gear off. "How is that for manipulation?" Castiel dressed in his work clothes and left Dean behind, ignoring how the other man starred after him.

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><p>It had taken them a week to become civil around each other and another two before they had agreed to try visiting Sammy together again. The second try was better. Dean stayed in the background while Castiel walked around in the stall completely ignoring Sammy's attempts at attention. It took a few days, but in the end Sammy gave up and accepted that Dean could be a substitute.<p>

Like a great big house cat Sammy rubbed against Dean's leg, begging to be petted and scratched. Without hesitation or fear, Dean reached his recently injured arm out, resting his hand against Sammy's head for a few seconds before letting his fingers dig into the thick fur on his shoulders. At that moment Castiel thought that Dean really did fear no evil.

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><p>Castiel watches as Sammy finishes his lump of meat and licks the floor clean. In the end he turns his attention to Castiel's hands cleaning them of any trace of blood.<p>

"Careful, or he'll lick your skin clean off." Dean's voice echoes through the big room.

Castiel's head jerk up to find Dean looking at him from the door. He's in his quarantine clothes, Castiel notices, which means that Castiel will have to concentrate today while training Sammy. Concentrate on _not_ looking at Dean's smile. Focus on _not_ letting Dean's voice rip its way through his insides like fire. Making sure he keeps a respectable distance to the other man whenever they have to interact.

Dean looks at Castiel's face trying to interpret the look he gets. He's getting better at understanding Castiel, he thinks. He knows Castiel is a push over, but he has also learned that Castiel is a lot more fun if you give him the chance to scratch back. But he still doesn't understand these odd looks Castiel gives him sometimes. In the end he gives up trying to understand Castiel, for now anyway.

To Be Continued…

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><p>AN2: Meh, I'm not sure if I should have gone in details with the short "It had taken them a week to become civil around each other" part. I just wanted to post an update already. I think I will go back and rewrite it in the coming days, but I will give a heads up in chapter 3 if I changed something.


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